


Sleeping Somewhere Cold

by htbthomas



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Ghosts, Humor, Magic, Resurrection, Superheroes, ToT: Battle of the Bands, Trick or Treat: Trick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27303016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas
Summary: No one ever listens to him. So what if it's because he's a ghost?
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	Sleeping Somewhere Cold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Violsva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violsva/gifts).



> Title from _Bring Me to Life_ by Evanescence.

"Um, guys, I don't think this is going to work," Excelsior said. 

But of course, they didn't listen. They never listened. Okay, so that was a little bratty, he was dead, after all, and most people couldn't hear ghosts.

The team stood back from where the sorcerer was performing the ritual, their faces in various states of worry, disbelief and resignation. "This is never going to work," Lightning said from the corner of his mouth to The Channeler.

"Exactly!" Excelsior said. "Finally someone with some sense. I can't remember why I didn't really like you back when I was alive."

"Have some faith," The Channeler told Lightning with a sage nod.

"Faith?" Excelsior scoffed. "You're supposed to be soooo connected to the spirit world, and have you been able to see me? Like, even once?" 

"Heh." Lightning shook his head. "Even if I did, why do we even want this pompous asshole back, anyway? We've been totally fine without him."

Now Excelsior remembered why.

In a fit of pique, Excelsior stalked over to smack Lightning across the forehead. When he was alive, that would have sent Lightning flying into the wall. Now all it did was make Lightning wriggle his nose and scratch his forehead. Maybe it would work if he used a concerted effort of will, like when he was able to write a message to the team in the dust of that mirror.

That they'd ignored—or more likely, never even noticed!

He gritted his teeth, and reached slowly for Lightning's cowl. If he could just yank it down, maybe, _maybe_ the jerk would notice.

But instead of feeling the force building in his fingertips, he felt a tingling in his limbs, a pull from his core, causing him to stumble back a step. "What—?" He squinted and flexed all his ghost muscles to try again—but this time he could feel himself sliding backward on his heels, caught in some sort of magnetic force...

Back toward his body.

That's when he knew the sorcerer's spell was actually working. "Oh, shiiiiiiii—"

All was black for what felt like ages. Then a dim light started to leak through his eyelids and he blinked rapidly in confusion. Was he...?

"Praise Feolani, he's alive!" The Channeler said, coming to kneel beside him. He took Excelsior's hand in his and squeezed it. "Are you really with us, Excelsior? Can you speak?"

He cleared his throat, which felt dry with disuse. "Yes." Of course it felt dry! He'd been dead for how long? He wasn't really sure—time passed strangely in the ghost world. He grasped The Channeler's arm as he came unsteadily to his feet.

He was really alive again. He touched the bed where he'd been lying, his own chest and limbs, the shaking the hands of each of his teammates. It was real. He was back!

Excelsior came to Lightning last, and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You were missed, man," Lightning said to him. "Team wasn't the same without you."

"Oh?" Excelsior answered. "You weren't 'totally fine' without me?"

"What, no—"

Excelsior barely allowed Lightning's face to go white before he yanked down the cowl, hard. "Fuck you, Brent."

Then he took three steps and crashed through the window, flying off into the night. Time to go check on his dog.


End file.
